Fireside poets
Holmes, Lowell, Whittier, and Longfellow, Emerson, Melville
Mostly wrote poems that were
morally uplifting and often sentimental
“A psalm of life” by
Longfellow
celebrates
an optimistic view of life and reflects the aims of Americans at the time
Longfellow uses
repetition and meter
how many lines in a stanza
4 (quatrain)
rhyme scheme
ABAB
should live in the _ and forget about the _
present; afterlife
the soul that sleeps is
dead
what is not the goal
the grave
we do not have a destiny of happiness or sadness, but simply moving toward
self-improvement that finds us “farther than today” (we are never still)
time is _
short
our hearts are beating like
drums (strong and brave) as we head toward the grave
compares life to a
bivouac (encampment of troops)
extended military metaphor:
an army marching to the grave: we will be heroes in the battle of life!
let the past go and act in the _
present
lives of great men remind us that we can
make our lives sublime (of high spiritual, moral, or intellectual worth)
we too can leave footprints on the sand of time and be
models for others
compares life to a solemn _
open ocean (main)
others will follow in our footsteps when they are in _
trouble (“forlorn and shipwrecked brother”)
must be up and doing things with a heart ready for anything while we wait for our fate. we must still achieve and pursue, and learn to _ and _
labor and wait
“To a Waterfowl” by
Bryant
addressing something as if it were actually there
apostrophe
what time of day? describe.
the dew is falling, sun setting (last steps of the day) — nighttime
he is similar to the bird because both are _ and _
alone and always changing
a _ might try to kill the waterfowl
fowler (hunter)
are you looking for the _, _, or _
marshy edge of a lake, bank of a river, or shore of the ocean with “rocking billows”
there is a _ that teaches thy way. you may be wandering _ but you are not _
POWER; alone, lost
the bird does not stop even though he is _ and the night is near
weary
when you want to quit and you know you are almost there, you can be encouraged by remembering
where you are going
soon shalt thou find a _
summer home
repetition of the word _
soon : soon that toil shall end; soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest
the bird is going toward its
nest
can no longer see the bird, but he will never forget _
the lesson you taught me
is speaking
TO the waterfowl
there is always someone leading him to where he will be _
happy
the God who guides you through the boundless sky, he will
lead my steps aright as I tread alone on the long way
the speaker is _ and on a _
unnamed; beach
how is it romantic? imtive emotional, nature, common man
imaginative emotional, nature, common man
qualities of a romantic piece
emotion, imagination, intuition, nature, country (instead of city), medieval past (king arthur, robin hood), individual, common man
“The Cross of Snow” by
Longfellow
type of poem?
Italian sonnet (14 lines of Iambic pentameter) • octave (2 quatrains) – somber tone• sestet – contemplates, doesn’t want to give up his grief
rhyme scheme of the octave
abbaabba
rhyme scheme of the sestet
c d e c d e (what Longfellow used) or cdcdcd
longfellow’s wive
died in a fire
in the long sleepless watches of the night, _ looks at me from the wall
the gentle face of one long dead (picture of his wife)
where did she die?
here in that room
emphasizes her _
innocence (halo of pale light)
never a soul more white then hers went through
martyrdom (saintlihood)
nor can in books be read the _ of a life more _
LEGEND; benedight
compares his heart to
the Mount of Holy Cross
the mountain displays a
cross of snow upon its side
such is the cross I wear upon my
heart
what POV?
1st person
how long has it been since she died?
18 years
although the seasons are changing,
he is changeless since the day she died (grief never goes away)
“the tide rises, the tide falls” by
Longfellow
repetition of
the tide rises the tide falls
pov
3rd person
the traveler hastens toward _ along the _
town; beach
the waves of the sea erase (efface) the
footsteps in the sand
nature goes on, the horse is _ as the _ calls
stamp and neigh; hostler
the day returns but nevermore _
returns the traveler to the shore (he dies)
oceans lend to
meditation
_ of humans, _ of nature (live life to _)
impermanence; ongoing; the fullest!
tone
accepting, somber
learning through
observation
using nature as
encouragement
rhyme scheme
a a b b a
time of day
twilight
“The Chambered Nautilus” by
Holmes
_ on the life and death of the nautilus
meditation
how one learns from _
nature
the nautilus can be a
“sailor”
what kind of poetry?
lyric (expresses emotion)
ship of pearl
pretty, valuble, pearl-colored
the ship of pearl represents
the pearl-like shell holding the nautilus (pearl ship holding the sailor)
open part of the shell:
“purpled wings”
in gulfs enchanted, where _
the siren sings (greek, exotic)
the coral reefs lie _
bare
found the shell along the beach and it is _
wrecked!
grows by
every cell in the shell getting larger
metaphorically compares the shell to a _
house
eventually the nautilus will move out =
heaven is our real home, we are only here temporarily
frail tenant =
our spiritual state can be fragile
the sea represents
our home
ocean represents
“sea of life”
let each new temple be
“nobler than the last”
rhyme scheme
aabbbcc
form of the poem
iambic pentameter
“old Ironsides” by
Holmes
_ to save the US constitution
propoganda
rhyme scheme
abcbdefe differs (alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines)
1st 2 stanzas
how much the ship has done and how long it has been sailing
last stanza
demise of the ship (let her go down nobly in the “mighty deep” and give her to the “god of storms” — let it sink in the storm
the ship is a symbol of
patriotism and freedom
the ship is a place where
many lives have been lost (heroes blood shed)
“snowbound: A winter Idyl” by
Whittier
the light of the day is
cheerless, darkly circled, and sadder
form
iambic tetrameter
rhyme scheme
aabbccddeeff..
.
nightly chores they did
brought in wood, littered the stalls, raked the grass for the cows,
almost like
getting ready for war
the clothes-line posts resembled
tall and sheeted ghosts
everything took marvellous shapes: strange _ and _
domes and towers
compares to exotic things such as
a chinese roof and pisa’s leaning miracle
their father was all _
business
told them,
“boys, a path!”
dug a tunnel in the snow that they compared to
alladin’s wonderful cave
all of the animals take on roles in _
alladin
the patriarch of the sheep was like egypt’s
amum (god) roused from sleep
who is the king-like figure?
???
sounds they hear
shrieking of the wind
moaning _ swaying
tree-boughs
on the glass of the windows the unmeaning beat of the ghostly finger-tips of _
sleet
could not hear church bells, neighbors, or _
the music of the brook (which had grown to have almost a human tone because they were acquired to it)
they light a fire that blazes up and then begins to die down so that it is a _
rosy bloom
the fire reflects off of the snow and it looks like
the fire is outside
imagery of warmth and imagery of _ vs _
danger vs safety
whispers an old rhyme about
witches making tea when fire outdoors burns merrily
it seems the moonlight (that shone at its full on the white snow) only shines to
make the coldness visible
stanza 10 – simile
hair as gray as was my sire’s that winter day
———
———-
the romantics celebrated
the glories of the individual spirit, the emotions, and the imagination as basic elements of human nature
the _ inspired the romantics more than the _
splendors of nature; fear of God
some of them felt a fascination with the _
supernatural
most popular american writers of the time
Longfellow, Irving
their works exhibit a typical romantic preoccupation with _, _, and _
atmosphere, sentiment, and optimism
the first really distinctive american literature came from the _s
transcendentalists
transcendentalism was derived from
german romanticism
based on the belief that
“transcendent (mystical, spiritual) forms” of truth exist beyond reason and experience
Emerson said that every individual is capable of
discovering this higher truth on his or her own, through intuition (instinct, feeling)
quote from emerson
“always do what you are afraid to do”
thoreau militantly turned his back on _
material rewards
devoted his life to the study of _ and _
nature and his own individual spirit
“Self Reliance” by
Emerson
transcendentalism: we are all joined with _ and _
nature and each other
an observation that expresses a general truth about life
aphorism
part of emerson’s appeal was his _ style and _ way with words
poetic style and elegant way with words
“self-reliance” celebrates emerson’s belief in the importance of the _
individual
we are inspired by the same God that inspires _
nature
one should be open to _ing oneself
contradicting
envy is ignorance
you are stupid if you are jealous
imitation is suicide
if you imitate someone else, you are killing yourself
tells people to _ themselves
trust (aphorism)
whoso would be a man must be a _
nonconformist
nothing is sacred but the _ of your won mind
integrity (honesty/honor)
no law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. good and bad are but names trendily _ to this or that
transferable
the only right is what is “after my constitution” or
consistent with my physical and mental nature
the distinction between greatness and meanness (inferiorness) is that
i must do only that which concerns me, not what people think
the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with _
perfect sweetness in the independence of solitude
a man must know how to estimate a _
sour face
in nature and in our own homes, you must _ and _
do your work and grow
the sour faces of the multitudes, like their sweet faces, have no _, but are put on and off as the wind blows and _s direct
deep cause; newspapers
facial expressions of bystanders can make us feel like we need to be _
conformists
the other terror that scares us from trusting ourself is our _
consistency (we are afraid of the unknown; of doing something different)
emerson criticizes _ consistency that does not allow for _ or _
foolish; change or progress
with consistency the soul has _ to do
nothing
it is good to be misunderstood =
“to be great is to be misunderstood” (contradicting yourself)
admires those who _
speak their mind
——-
——-
transcendentalists:
emerson and thoreau
what is the doorway to truth?
nature
we are all a part of God in this _
oversoul
focuses on the _ human nature
ideal (beyond the physical) perfectability
from “Walden” by
Thoreau (not a diary, rather a retrospective looking back)
famous experiment which he thought of as _ living
essential
this was living _, studying the _ and seeking _
simply, studying the natural world, and seeking truth within himself
walden is a mixture of _, _, and _
philosophy, autobiography, and meditation upon nature
the house had a _ and _ look
clean and airy
went to the woods to live _
deliberately (in an unhurried and thoughtful manner)
wanted to front only the _ facts of life
essential
did not wish to practice _ unless it was completely necessary
resignation (acceptance of something as unavoidable)
wanted to live like the _, in a simple, economical, and disciplined way
Spartans
wanted to live deep and _ out of life
suck all the marrow out of life
most men have hastily concluded that it is the most important purpose of human life on earth to _
glorify God and enjoy him forever
apostrophe:
an honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers
we are determined to be _ before we are _
starved; hungry
could easily do without the
post office
time is but the _
stream i go a-fishin in
we do not have
much time on earth
all the elements are usually _ to me
congenial (agreeable)
like the lake, my serenity is _ but not _
rippled but not ruffled
who are nature’s watchmen?
the wildest animals who do not repose
because we are all in this life together, _ is insignificant
physical distance
every winter the pond becomes
solid to the depth of a foot
the pond becomes _ for 3 months or more
dormant
heaven is _ as well as _
under our feet as well as over our heads
the pond represents
life (hibernation)
spring’s coming is _
instantaneous (no ice left)
the change from winter to spring is a _
memorable crisis
left the woods because
had many more lives to live
the surface of the earth is soft and impressible by _
the feet of men
wishes to go before the mast and on the “deck of the world” for there I could best see the
the moonlight amid the mountains
as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear
less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, not poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness
metaphor about building _ in the air
castles (dream big and make it happen)
if man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a _
different drummer
life looks poorest when you are
richest
the town’s poor live the most _ lives of any
independent
things do not change;
we change
God will see that you do not want
society if you sell your clothes and keep your thoughts
_ reveals the heavenly lights
humility
life is sweetest near the
bone
metaphor of the bug
???
summer
we live easily are close to the gods
fall
reflection and stirring up experiences gathering together things you have observed
winter
reading, self-discipline, meditation
spring
rebirth, the sun is a morning star, begin life anew (cycle, like holmes)
